Recorded at Southern studios, London Dec 1980. Design by Crass at Exitstencil press. B6 is an unlisted track which was originally released as a flexi disc (321984/1F). Cover Sleeve – Front “What Vision Is Left And Is Anyone Asking? No More Than Â£2.25 – Crass, Penis Envy” Run-out groove etchings: Side A: “In her hands she has seduction-you’ve heard it all before”. Side B: “In his hands he has destruction-make love not war”

The third Crass LP, Penis Envy, was a radical departure from the first two albums and as such represents something of a milestone. It was released the same week as the Loving flexi scam, proving Crass were no idiots in the promotion department. Penis Envy is “the misuse of one of Freud’s more absurd theories”, as described by Penny Rimbaud to a radio interviewer in 1983.“When we first started, we were seen as a male boot band and this record certainly puts that straight – that our sensitivities are much wider than just that element.” In this respect, Penis Envy could be thought of as Crass’ first truly self-conscious recording. Having had plenty of time to reflect on the position they found themselves in, Penis Envy is the sound of the band trying to achieve something tangible and pre-conceived. The band heralded Penis Envy as their big feminist statement, though in truth it covered a broader range of topics, and with considerably more generosity to men than other feminist acts of the time. Indeed, it could be argued that the real theme of the record is love itself.The cover fea- tured a packaged rubber doll, none too subtly juxtaposed with back cover artwork of an animal being cut up in a slaughterhouse, and a collage of women in bondage.

Sounds Review

Other Pressings of Penis Envy have slightly different Covers

UK release pay no more than £3.00

Plastic Dreams Plastic instead of the pay no more

Blank Side

No More than $6.59 Dollars

No more than….

Poster

UpDate Dec 2012

Penis Envy Japanese release

1982 saw Penis Envy Released in Japan through a licensing deal with Rough Trade. (Japan RTl-25 (RTL-25 B) 1982. This Pressing is from from Tokuma Japan and the cover has a pink Obi

Penis Envy Test Pressing

Test press of Penis Envy pressed by Waddell co. I always though it was rare to see a white label or Test press of Crass records as they kept costs down, but over the last few years quite a few have made it on to the auction sites.

I originally touched on this release in the Reality Asylum single release details, but I’ve found some new images around the net that now allow me to flesh out this post. After the initial release of the single and had been an indie chart hit Rough Trade approached the band to see if they wanted to release the single in Japan. Penny remembers ” Rough Trade asked if they could release it and we thought why not, I think Gee did some extra stuff for the sleeve, they did all the work we didn’t have much to do with it” Numbers released vary between 1000-5000

Came with the Toxic Grafity zine
Square shaped flexi disc. Some copies with red print,
some printed in silver with a slightly different layout (2nd pressing)

“The Conway Hall gig also boosted one of the more extreme fanzines of the day. Toxic Graffity (sic) had been lined up as the benefactor of the next gig Crass was to play at the Conway Hall, but since they were now understandably persona-non-grata, they offered instead to give the fanzine a new track ‘Rival Tribal Rebel Revels’ – partly inspired by the Conway Hall events – for inclusion as a flexi-disc for the next issue.This proved such a popular move that Toxic Graffity sold tens of thousands, where purchasers were treated to page after page of anarchist ranting and newspaper cut-out invective. It was possibly a sign of one of the failings of the movement that the intelligent and eloquent young man who put the fanzine together considered constant dumbing-down and clichés as the best way to get his message over.” From the story of Crass.

The Toxic Grafity Fanzine which was the beneficiary of Crass giving it the rival tribal rebel revel Flexi.

Crass Records 421984/6 Some 500 hard vinyl copies of the Tribal with sleeve were released for to play in shops stocking the fanzine.